Educational and amusement device



Oct. 14,1941. c. H. FORBELL 2,258,603 I EDUCATIONAL AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1959 INVENTOR CHARLES H FORBELL BY fix ll 5 AT ORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STAT Es" ii) FFICE The present invention relates to an educational and amusement device and it particularly relates to a booklet or similar arrangement useful for amusement purposes or by which children or adultsmay be instructed in the art of drawing and/or games may be played by either adults or children. a

In most drawing exercises as presented to children it is not readily possible for the child to disassemble the figure or design to be drawn and start out with the basic lines and later add additional or further lines, which, with increasing complication, eventually complete the figure or design to be reproduced.-

The presentation of most figures, to be sketched or drawn, to children usually results in the confusion in the child's mind and it is not until after the child becomes quite mature or even adolescent that it realizes that the designs or figures actually consist of a system of lines and small details, which may be separately studied and applied to a sheet of paper or to the sketch pad and subsequently assembled into the completed figure.

After considerable experimentation and research, it has been found that instruction in drawing may be most readilygiven to children and to other people who may desire to much better grasp the principles thereofby impressin upon them in the course of instruction, the fact that all figures are composed of a series of lines or details which may be separately studied and drawn and which when assembled into the completed figure, will give the final design, grouping 'or picture of animate and/or inanimate objects.

Inthis construction it has been found desirable, not to give the person a view of parts of an en tire final design or scheme to be reproduced, since this detracts from the instruction in that the person is constantly on the searchfor or desirous of finding part or whole of the final design. The instruction is much more effective when the final design is concealed or not known to the person being instructed and the attention of such persons is concentrated on placing a series, of more or less unrelated figures upon a sheet which gradually appear to shape up into the final object, since it, is in this manner that it has been found that the best instruction may be imparted to those unacquainted with or ignorant of, the basic principles of sketching and drawing.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved or educational instruction booklet which may be readily employed not only the instruction of children but also for the amusement and/or education of adults or persons more matured. V

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below,

it being understood however that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and'explanation only, and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of {the present invention.

In one v preferred form of the present invention,

a 'b'ooklet is made'up having a front and back cover and a plurality 'of intermediate sheets, each carrying" portions "or fragments ofthe design according" to a predetermined arrangement, such fragments or portions being spread more orless over the entirepage or intermediate sheet.

LA- sing'le tracing sheet may be provided at the beginningof the booklet, and the tracing sheet may be used to trace the sheets successively with the removal of each sheetafter the fragments of "the design thereon have been traced.

The final album or portfolio, after the pages containing the fragmentary designs have been removed, may then be preserved by the party who made theftracings, or who was undergoing the course of instruction. V l

As an alternative construction the booklet may also be provided with a series of. pages which have .the designs positioned thereon at successively greater distances from the margin of the page or from-thebindin'g, with the story opposite each figure describingits position or setting forth its relationship to the completed picture. One figure after another in this way may be uncovered I until a final assemblage is obtained.

Onthe other hand, it is also possible, accord,- ing'. to one presentation of the present invention, to .tearpoft other portions'ofeach of the sheets after the story h'asbeen read, with the result that the remaining portions of the subsequent sheets, which are uncovered by the preceding sheets, will successively present more and more of the complete grouping or story until the final tear off has'been made. Referring to the drawing which illustrates several of the various possible embodiments of the present invention, but to which the present invention is by no means restricted, since the drawing is merely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the booklet with the tracing sheet opened to the left side and with the first page of fragmentary designs opened to the right,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view similar to Fig. 1 with all of the sketched pages removed and with the final tracing in position so that the booklet may be used as a portfolio,

Figs. 3 to 10 illustrate successive steps in the operation of obtaining the final portfolio of Fig. 2 from the initial booklet of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to Figs. land 2, the book is provided with a cover I0, a back II, a binding l2, a tracing sheet l3 and a plurality of fragmentary design sheets M,

The back of the front page is indicated in the lower outside corner by F, the lower .outside corner of the tracing sheet is indicated by Oand the lower outside corners of thesucces'sitze .frage mentary design sheets are indicated by numbers I to 4.

The lower outside corner of the backing sheet is indicatedby B. These indications on the lower outside corners-of the pages enable one to follow more readily the successive operations indicated in Figs. 3 to 10.

The various sheets 12, enumerated -l to 4., may .be successively detached along the tear lines 15, as indicated.

In the final portfolio, as indicated in 2, the

tracing sheet I3, which is in position on the reverse side from its position, as shown in Fig. 1, has the completed design traced upon it and the combination of the front page [9, the completed tracing page 13 and'the back page Il may be used as a portfolio and put away for preservation.

Referring tozthe successive steps in Fig. '3, the tracing sheet 13 is placed over on the first fragmentary design sheet M and the figures are traced, as indicated by thehand l 6 (and the pencil .orother writing instrument 11. in Fig. 4, when the tracing has been completed, the .first fragmentary design sheet 1 is removed along the tear line l5.

In 'Fig. 5, the booklet is shown after theremoval of the first fragmentary design sheet l4 and'before the tracing sheet 13 is placed Loverthe second fragmentary idesign sheet I4 This tracing sheet is placed upon the second fragmentary design sheet in Fig. 6, and "the tracing operation,

as indicated in Fig. 3, is re eated to obtain .the

Then, :as shown s V more advanced drawing, as indicated upon sheet j'l3 injFigs. Sand '7. 7

As indi at d in Fi the econd fra m ta y design sheet I4 has been removed, exposing the third fragmentary design sheet 14 which then is covered'by the tracing sheet in Fig;1.8.

' Then additional matter is traced upon the tracing sheet [3 in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The tracing sheet It, as shown .in "Figs. .8 land '9, will then be complete except for 'the addition of the fragmentary figures on the fourth and last fragmentary design sheet I'M, whichls uncovered by removal of the sheetflil by the operation of Figsiiand 9. j I

After the final tracing 'has been made, as indicated in Fig. '10, the sheet ll! may be removed to produce the final portfolio .of Fig.2.

Although not shown, if desired. a final sheet with the completed design could .be provided and fit is obviousfthat very complica'ted designs could be presented for instruction or amusement purposes and the number of fragmentary design pages may be increased to any number up to 20 to 100 or more.

In this regard children and others may be educated as well as amused by concentrating on fragments of a design, which finally assemble themselves without need for definite assembly by the drawer into a final finished drawing.

This mode of instruction is particularly valuable in that the child is taught to select successive portions or elements of a design without becoming confused by the entire design being presented at one time.

It is apparent that the applicant has devised an educational device of great value, which is useful for either children or adults and which may be widely applied.

It will be noted that the device or booklet is so styled to control the sequence of operation, with the result that the operator or drawer is only concerned with the immediate element with which he is tracing or'with which he is dealing. All other material which must be used in the process arriving at the final result is kept out of sight and by agradual or partial destruction of the original device, the operator finally achieves the final complete result.

The successive elimination of the constructional material, 'after it has accomplished its purpose, .is .particularly valuable from an educational point of .view and it aids in arousing curiosity and interest which can only be satisfied when the operation has been completed and when the-final design has been obtained.

It will be particularly noted that as the operatorordrawer destroys pnesheetof plans or outlines, he is bringing, at the same time, and con.- .structing a final-plan or outline which has been found to be particularly valuable from an eduz a o a oint oi w- Many other changes couldbe eifected in the particular features of booklet disclosed, and in specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be .-de-

fined in the claim, the specific description sherein merely se gving to illustrate certain elements by which-in one embodiment, the spirit .of the in mention may be \effiectuated.

What is claimed is; i

A: booklet having a front tracing sheet of a transparent material and a plurality of removablepages, each :containing .difierent elements of .a .iinal design tobe produced, said final design consisting of a composite of a variety of different unit designs and each of said elements forming part ofone ,of said unit designs and being substantially uniformly-distributed over the area of the; entire design, said elements being separated andlinost easily draw-n .or traced and so disposed upon the page that they may be traced individually with concentration of the attention of the tracer without regard to the final design and without knowledge of the character of the final design, eachof said-elements when traced tending laccomplete said unit designs without said nnitdesigns being completed and completing said final design until said last page has been traced and-removed. V. l CHARLES H. vFORBELL. 

